And with that, Stenhouse addressed his new romantic relationship — a relationship with a fellow Sprint Cup driver — much like any 25-year-old talking about a budding romance as he addressed the media during NASCAR Media Day Thursday.

He looked at the bright side of the two full-time drivers battling for top rookie honors: "I told her I was going to win. At least we both get to go to the banquet," Stenhouse said.

He also had a dig for 2012 Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski, who said recently he was more worried about Stenhouse and Patrick breaking up: "Coming from someone that has never had a girlfriend?" he asked.

Stenhouse did make it clear how many motor homes the new couple would have at the track — "two motor homes," he said — and seemed to play along with questions about the novelty of two Cup competitors dating.

"We are happy, so that's good, right?" Stenhouse said. "What I have learned in my career in racing is that anytime you are happy off the racetrack, it tends to show up on the racetrack. That is one good thing that we have going. We are both happy, we are focused on racing and having fun."

Stenhouse even revealed his Valentine's Day gift for the 30-year-old Patrick: a set of fancy playing cards. She likes to play cards, he said.

"We have had a friendship for a long time and I can't cook and she can," Stenhouse said. "She loves to cook, so that is nice and I love to eat. We get a long really well.

"I have never had someone that I can talk racing with, and I wasn't 100 percent sure how I would like that but I have enjoyed it. I think we can learn a lot from each other and be successful."

For Stenhouse, being in the spotlight isn't exactly new. He has won back-to-back Nationwide Series titles and is replacing Matt Kenseth at Roush Fenway Racing.

Patrick struggled in her first full NASCAR season, finishing 10th — the highest ever finish for a female driver — in the final Nationwide Series standings. She is driving for a new third team at Stewart-Haas Racing in her first full season in Sprint Cup.

But it is Patrick who has the most notoriety. She was named most popular driver in the Nationwide Series last year and is a worldwide celebrity thanks to her appearance as a model in several commercials and photo shoots.

That has put talk of their relationship in the headlines. They went public with it a few weeks ago, even though Patrick's divorce, while filed Jan. 3, is not final yet.

"You all don't get to me and it doesn't bother me what you say," Stenhouse told media members Thursday. "I don't read articles so it doesn't really bother me.

"She knows I spend my time at the shop and focused on our racing. She helps out with that because she has experienced a lot and that has been helpful."

Stenhouse joked that if he wins, the headlines "might say 'Danica's boyfriend wins the race.' "

A bigger question is how they will race each other. Stenhouse said he would be respectful to her, like he is with other drives and his teammates. He said he would not butt into her on-track confrontations with other drivers.

"I don't feel like if somebody crashes her I am going to go crash them because of it," Stenhouse said. "I am out there to do my job. I am out there to put on the best performance I can for my sponsors and my team and my fans.

"I can't get caught up in any of that. She has been racing for a long time and can handle that situation and I will handle mine. You are probably going to give her a break but it is nothing other than (like you would do with) a teammate."

And what if they do break up?

"Anybody that has a relationship whether they are in the sport or not, if you are having problems in the relationship it shows up on the racetrack no matter who you are," Stenhouse said.

Keselowski, he said, "has a point that it does matter if things are going well or not, but I think that has to do with anybody. I could be dating somebody that is never at the racetrack and if you are having problems, that definitely shows up in your work. It doesn't matter who it is."